NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / All Blacks

All Blacks: Central role could be a change of Smiths

Gregor Paul
By Gregor Paul
Reporter·Herald on Sunday·
14 Sep, 2013 05:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ben Smith was identified 14 months ago as the player with the closest skill-set to Conrad Smith and there are strong hints he is seen as the natural successor. Photo / Getty Images

Ben Smith was identified 14 months ago as the player with the closest skill-set to Conrad Smith and there are strong hints he is seen as the natural successor. Photo / Getty Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

All Black coach Steve Hansen either has massive faith in Ben Smith, a different person in mind or no idea who will replace Conrad Smith at centre later this year.

It's best to work up the former theory. Hansen isn't prone to random or sudden changes in philosophy and he's never without a plan. Knowing what he wants, staying true to his ideals and being consistent have been the bedrock features of his head coaching tenure so far.

He's never been definitive about what he plans to do when Conrad Smith is on sabbatical in November and, two-thirds of the way through the Rugby Championship, there has not been any further clues as to what might happen.

Best guess is still a shift for Ben Smith. The 27-year-old was identified 14 months ago as the player with the closest skill-set to the incumbent and there were strong hints he was seen as the natural successor.

Ben Smith is much like Conrad in that timing, footwork and instincts are his preferred modes of operation. The younger Smith has also got pace, agility, a kicking and catching game and good vision, which is why he's capable of playing almost anywhere across the backline and hasn't yet specialised in any particular role.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And it's Smith's lack of familiarity with the No 13 jersey at any level that reveals just how much faith Hansen has in him. Centre is a complex berth, the sort of place where little mistakes have a nasty habit of being high impact.

Last year, Smith came off the bench to play at centre twice and then started there against Scotland. Nothing since then, though, and in all likelihood, probably nothing before the third Bledisloe test.

Potentially this is high risk but no one seems worried. The All Blacks are confident that if he has to, Smith can make the transition and much of that belief stems from the two-step plan they have had in place.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The first goal has been to build Smith's level of comfort and confidence about being an All Black. First capped in 2009, he wasn't seen again in black until 2011 when he made one more appearance before the World Cup. He was a squad regular last year, often on the bench but not considered frontline.

The challenge has been to open his mind to the extent of his talent: All Black sides have had spectacular outside backs for the past two decades and Smith needs to understand that he is, or at least could be, in the same league.

That process, it has been deemed, will be best served by affording Smith consistency of selection in one position. That's why the selectors didn't shift him to centre for the dead rubber against France in June. It has been a success. Smith has become the new Cory Jane: unassuming and seemingly unimposing, yet so deadly.

He thrives on the big stage without having an obvious trump card. Smith is neither overly powerful nor overly quick but he scores tries, beats defenders, catches high balls, launches counter-attacks and has finished most games this year as a contender for man of the match.

Discover more

All Blacks

All Blacks: Sights set on being top test nation

12 Sep 05:30 PM
All Blacks

All Blacks: Coles hooked in for 2015

13 Sep 05:30 PM
All Blacks

Bok captain's great resilience

13 Sep 05:30 PM
Opinion

All Blacks: Rising to McCaw less challenge critical

13 Sep 11:25 PM

He must surely have some idea by now that he's more than capable of making an impression at this level, which means he's on track for stage two if the selectors still want to go down that road.

That's converting him to centre for the final tests of the year - not with a view to it becoming a permanent move but to give player and coaches peace of mind that they have a viable alternative to Conrad Smith.

The hope is that with his confidence buoyed and self-belief high, Smith will handle the demands of the role even if he's thrown in there with limited previous exposure.

"Steve has brought it up a couple of times," says Conrad Smith as to whether any discussion has taken place internally about who will replace him when he takes his time out. "It is something maybe (we will talk more about) in the next few weeks.

"I do (think Ben Smith has all the skills). I also think it will be a big change. It is not as easy as some people think.

"The attacking opportunities are quite different and you have to wait for what is created inside you, whereas wing, you don't so much, especially from counter-attack, which is what he is so good at.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He's still pretty new to the wing, which is why they are giving him time there to sort that out. It will be a big shift but I am more than happy and keen to help him make that."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from All Blacks

All Blacks

‘All Blacks stumble over the line’: World media reacts to Dunedin win

05 Jul 05:00 PM
All Blacks

All Blacks v France: New Zealand hold on to open 2025 campaign with victory

Premium
All Blacks

Player ratings: The All Black debutant that impressed the most

05 Jul 09:55 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from All Blacks

‘All Blacks stumble over the line’: World media reacts to Dunedin win

‘All Blacks stumble over the line’: World media reacts to Dunedin win

05 Jul 05:00 PM

Scott Robertson’s side were made to work for their victory under the roof.

All Blacks v France: New Zealand hold on to open 2025 campaign with victory

All Blacks v France: New Zealand hold on to open 2025 campaign with victory

Premium
Player ratings: The All Black debutant that impressed the most

Player ratings: The All Black debutant that impressed the most

05 Jul 09:55 AM
All Blacks hold on, end France losing streak to open 2025

All Blacks hold on, end France losing streak to open 2025

05 Jul 09:19 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP